Dispenser closure



Nov. 24, i11242. v. a. NucKoLs 2,302,972

DISPENSER GLOSURE Filed Jan. 22, 1941 j 3mm/m, Vir z` Nutz/02.5

Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the class vof closures and, pertains particularly to an improved closure for a bottle or jar with which is associated a cut off pouring or dispensing means.

It is known that various commodities are marketed in containers having closures provided with a pour means, which pour means may be opened and closed at will, and where such cut off pour means is used in connection with a closure for a liquid container, it is customarily placed upon the outer side of the closure. As a result, when a portion of the iiuid is discharged from the container and is then cut off, there is left a small quantity of the liquid which adheres to the outer side of the closure which collects dust and attracts insects. l The present invention has for its primary object to provide a closure having a shut off pour means in which the shut 01T is mounted in close proximity to the inner or under surface of the closure so that it functions, when used in connection with a container carrying a fluid, to shut off the now of such fluid when desired', without permitting any of the fluid to remain upon the outer side of the container closure.

l, Another object of the invention is to provide a closure device having a shut off pour means in which the shut 01T means is of simple construction and is coupled with the closure body in a novel manner with means for constantly urging the shut oi into operative or closed position.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it being understood, however, that the invention is not to be considered as limitedby the specic illustration or description but vthat such illustration and description constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in top plan of the cap.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I generally designates a closure member of the character commonly employed upon jars in which various commodities such as mayonnaise, syrups and the like are sold. This closure may be of pressed metal or any other suitable material and has a top 2 and an encircling peripheral flange 3 which is provided with suitable threads for engagement with corre- .spending threads around the mouth of the container, not shown, with which it is to be used. The top 2 of the closure is here shown as being of convex form, but it will be apparent that itma5T be flat without altering the character of the invention.

In accordance with the present invention, the top 2 is provided with a pour opening 4 adjacent the periphery thereof and it is also provided with an arcuate slot 5 which is concentric with the top and which is removed from the pour opening a little over to therig-ht of such opening.

The central part of the top 2 is provided with a suitable opening for the reception of a pivot forming rivet 6, the head of which is preferably disposed upon. the outer side of the top 2.

Upon the under side of the top 2 is disposed a thin plate of metal 'l which is shaped to have a fan-like portion 8 and a shut off blade portion 9 which is of a width materially greater than the pour opening 4. The blade and fan portion 8 are angularly related so that when the plate 'I' is disposed with the central part of the same where the portions 8 and 9 join, located at the center of the top 2, the blade 9 will cover the opening 4 and the fan-like portion will cover the slot 5./ The rivet 6 extends through the central part of the plate 'I and forms a center or axis about which the plate may be oscillated.

The inner end of the rivet 6 is slotted or provided with a kerf I0, and encircling the inner end of the rivet is a coil spring I I which has one end xed in the kerf I while the other end forms an arm I2 which extends outwardly across the underside of the wing portion 8. The rivet 6 is maintained in position and assists in maintaining the plate 8 against the under side of the top 2 through the engagement of the spring between the under side of the plate 8 and the inner kerfed end of the rivet. As is clearly shown in Figure 4, the end of the spring which is engaged in the kerfed end is secured in place by slightly bending together the portions of the rivet which form the sides of the kerf. Thus the spring is prevented from moving axially on the rivet and it prevents the rivet from moving outwardly through the openings in the top 2 and plate 8. y

The wing portion 8 has secured to its top, adjacent one side edge thereof, an end of the arm I3 of a lever I4. This lever I4 is flat and is disposed to have its at side vertical and to extend radially from the top of the closure and beyond the periphery thereof, the lever being provided With a curved inner edge I5 which follows the contour of the peripheral portion of the closure, so that such peripheral portion functions as a guide. As shown, the inner end of the arm I3 turns down through the opening 5 and it is provided with a pin I6 which passes through and is secured to the Wing portion 8 of the plate 1, and projects from the under side of such Wing portion a sufficient distance to form a stop against which the radially extending end I2 of the coil spring bears.

The spring I2 is tensioned so that it tends to move the arm I2 thereof in a direction which will force the turning of the plate 'I to a position Where the arm I3 is located in one end of the guide slot 5 and the blade 9, which presses closely against the inner side of the top 2 covers the pour opening 4. In order to uncover the pour opening 4, the lever I4 must be forced toward the opposite end of the slot 5 against the tension of the spring and thus it will be seen that after a pouring operation is completed and the lever I4 is released, the spring will react to return the shut off blade 9 to position over the opening 4, and when the blade returns to its normal position, it will effectively out off the fiow of material through the pour opening.

While in setting forth the invention, reference has been made to the action of the blade 9 in cutting off the flow of liquid or fluid material, it is to be understood that there is no intention to limit the use of the invention to containers for liquids since it will be readily apparent that the closure unit may be readily used upon containers for dry granular material such as sugar, salt, or any other similar products.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure unit of the character described, comprising a body of circular form having a peripheral flange by which its connection with a receptacle is facilitated, said body having a pour aperture therethrough adjacent the periphery thereof, an arcuate slot formed through the body concentrically with the center thereof, a plate disposed against the under side of the body and having a blade portion for disposition over the pour aperture andy a wing-like portion angularly related to the blade portion and adapted to cover said slot, a pivot post extending through the center of the body and through said plate for the pivotal support of the plate against the under side of the body, said post having an inner end provided with a kerf, a spring encircling the post at said inner end and having an end secured in said kerf, the spring maintaining the plate rmly against the under side ofthe body, said spring having its other end extended radially of the body against the under side of the plate across and adjacent a side edge of said wing portion, an elongated lever disposed to extend radially across the top of the body beyond the periphery thereof and having an end extended through said slot from the outer side of the body into contact with said Wing portion, pin means securing the said end of the lever with said wing portion and extending from the inner side of the wing portion, said pin means forming a stop for the said other end of the spring, said lever engaging an end of the slot to limit the oscillatory movement of the plate by said spring, the plate when at the limit of its movement by the spring having said blade in covering position with respect to the pour opening.

l 2. A closure unit of the character described,

comprising a'body of circular form having a peripheral ange by which its connection with a receptacle is facilitated, said body having a pour aperture therethrough adjacent the periphery thereof, an arcuate slot formed through the body concentrically with the center thereof, a plate disposed against the under side of the body and having a blade portion for Idisposition over the pour aperture and a wing-like portion angularly related to the blade portion and adapted to cover said slot, a pivot post extending through the center of the body and through said plate for the pivotal support of the plate against the under side of the body, said post having an inner end provided with a kerf, a spring encircling the post at said inner end and having an end secured in said korf, the spring maintaining the plate firmly against the under side of the body, said spring having its other end extended radially of the body against the under side of the plate across and adjacent a side edge of said wing portion, an elongated lever disposed to extend radially across the top of the body beyond the periphery thereof and having an end extended through said slot from the outer side of the body into contact with said Wing portion, pin means securing the said end of the lever with said wing portion and extending from the inner side of the wing portion, said pin means forming a stop for the said otherl end of the spring, said lever engaging an end of the slot to limit the oscillatory movement of the plate by said spring, the plate when at the limit of its movement by the spring having said blade in covering position with respect to the pour opening, and said lever having a relatively Wide outer end portion with the width thereof disposed vertically with respect to said body and said wide portion of the lever having a convex edge engaging over the periphery of the body to cooperate therewith to form a guide for the lever.

VIRGIL B. NUCKOLS. 

